The book, published by Springer, is written for students and practitioners who are looking for a single introductory Excel-based resource that covers three essential business and analytical skills: data analysis, business modeling, and simulation of complex problems.

Guerrero says that he has been developing the content for the book for a while, and recently decided to put it into book form.

"Part of the reason for writing the book was to serve the market," he says. "Former MBA students were always contacting me for free advice, wanting to know of a source that would teach sophisticated spreadsheet modeling." Spreadsheet modeling has been taught only for about the last dozen years, so many of them never had the opportunity to learn about it in the classroom.

The book also makes it easier for Guerrero to teach his current students.

Hector Guerrero teaches in the areas of decision making, statistics, operations and business quantitative methods. He has published scholarly work in the areas of operations management, product design, and catastrophic planning. Prior to entering academe, he worked as an engineer for Dow Chemical Company and Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.